Anthyllis vulneraria
Ecology
A perennial herb of rock outcrops and open turf on S.-facing slopes, on free-draining neutral to base-rich, often calcareous, soils. On the coast it is found on sea-cliffs, shingle and sand dunes. It is increasing as an alien on roadsides. Generally lowland, but reaching 945 m (Ben Lawers, Mid Perth).
Status
Trends
The native distribution is stable. Five subspecies are known in our area; subsp. vulneraria is found throughout the range of the species, subsp. polyphylla is a sporadic alien, subsp. corbierei is found on a few sea-cliffs and subsp. carpatica and subsp. lapponica are mapped separately.
World Distribution
European Boreo-temperate element; widely naturalised outside its native range.
Broad Habitats
Light (Ellenberg): 8
Moisture (Ellenberg): 4
Reaction (Ellenberg): 7
Nitrogen (Ellenberg): 2
Salt Tolerance (Ellenberg): 0
January Mean Temperature (Celsius): 3.7
July Mean Temperature (Celsius): 14.6
Annual Precipitation (mm): 1030
Height (cm): 60
Perennation - primary
Life Form - primary
Woodiness
Clonality - primary
Count of 10km squares in Great Britain: 1798
Count of 10km squares in Ireland: 465
Count of 10km squares in the Channel Isles: 9
Atlas Change Index: 0.45
Weighted Changed Factor: -20
Weighted Change Factor Confidence (90%)
JNCC Designations
RDB Species Accounts
The account below is for the sub-species. Closely related species and sub-species may have separate accounts listed elsewhere in the Online New Atlas
Anthyllis vulneraria ssp. corbierei (Salmon & Travis) Cullen (Fabaceae)
Kidney vetch, Placen Felen
Status in Britain: LOWER RISK – Near Threatened. Possibly ENDEMIC.
The genus Anthyllis is taxonomically complex, with many intergrading variants which are to some extent ecologically and geographically separated. Subspecies corbierei is much the rarest of the four subspecies native to Britain, and is confined to coastal habitats. It is principally a plant of grassy sea-cliffs and rocky slopes, accompanying such species as Cochlearia officinalis, Daucus carota, Festuca rubra, Plantago maritima, Scilla verna, Silene uniflora and Tripleurospermum maritimum, but also occurs on dunes and dune grassland.
It is a perennial, flowering in midsummer. The reproductive biology of this subspecies has not been investigated, though it is likely to be similar to that of subspecies vulneraria: protandrous flowers pollinated by insects, and reproduction entirely by seed.
Subspecies corbierei has been recorded at few sites in Britain; apparently only two in Cornwall, several in Anglesey between Aberffraw and South Stack (Roberts 1982), and one in Caithness. It may be overlooked and more widespread (e.g. Stace 1991), though it has not been found during recent occasional investigations of Anthyllis populations at a number of sites in South Wales and on the Lleyn peninsula (Jones 1994). It is noteworthy that in Cornwall, a well-botanised county, there are only two records, made in 1933 and 1958 (Margetts & David 1981). The distribution of types and intermediates needs further investigation in western and northern Britain.
Elsewhere, subspecies corbierei is recorded only on Sark, though searches on the coast of France may reveal its presence there (Cullen 1986).
M. J. Wigginton